#SPFBO : My Second Batch of Books – Update
Today I’m posting an update for my second batch of SPFBO books (which can be found here). This year I’m teaming up with the lovely ladies from the Critiquing Chemist and we split the batch of books equally – which gives me a little more time this year.
This month I read and reviewed all four books from my second batch and today I’m providing my feedback on which books will be cut or rolled forward. At this point I’m not making any decisions on semi-finalists as the semi finalists will be decided by both blogs before agreement on a finalist is reached. We will each put forward hopefuls and then take it from there.
I would mention that this is ultimately the most difficult part of the competition for judges and authors. I don’t find making cuts easy to be honest however it’s the nature of the competition. There can be only one. I would also like to thank the authors of the books that are highlighted today for taking the decision to throw their hat into the ring. It can’t be easy and I definitely applaud you for taking this step.
Without further ado here is my feedback from the second batch of books:
Berserker (Apocosmos #1) by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris
Alex is a game developer though he’d much rather stream RPG classics or spend time with Louie. That’s his adorable corgi. He also hates people. Not in a homicidal way but rather in an extremely-antisocial one.Unless you hurt Louie.
In such an instant, Alex is pulled in the Apocosmos, where our whole world is just a blip in a colorful tapestry of million others. A multiverse ruled by a strict system. Where Norse, Greek, and Celtic pantheons clash. Where dwarves craft, dragons hoard, and vampires don’t glitter. A world that is as cruel as epic.
Alex wants none of that though. He just wants to earn an early retirement somewhere in Spain. There’s money to be made in the Apocosmos. Alex will take advantage of the market just like he did in his MMORPG days, in what seems like an error-proof plan. But it’s a zero-sum game and some would do anything to eliminate competition.
My review is here.
In a nutshell, I had fun with Berserker, it was an enjoyable read that I had a few issues with but nothing that really spoiled the read. If you like litRPG this could be your next read, I would certainly be interested to see what happens in the next instalment.
Conclusion: Cut
***
Stone Magus (Hidden Gems Saga #1) by Stephanie C. Marks
In life, love, and family, there is always strength in numbers.
Something is off balance between the Windsong Sisters, and for Opal and Ruby, the terrible might of their powers may just lead them to catastrophe—or clarity. As half-elf mages in the service of the Order of Aiuna, the sisters spend their days collecting and preserving anything that magic touches, and as their mission takes them further back into their past, the darkness that awaits them there threatens to destroy everything they hold dear.
Despite the dark smoke rising around them, Opal is finding it hard to ignore the flames flickering between herself and Baerdun. There’s just something about it that makes her feel weak, and not just in the knees. With so much happening around them, it’s becoming much harder to keep her head above water and her heart her own.
After everything they’ve lost—what if they lose themselves as well?
Enter a world where shadows exist within and without, and follow Opal, Ruby, and Baerdun down a path that will either bring them together or force them apart.
In a nutshell, this is fantasy and romance combined. It has a very unusual and unique concept and was easy to get along with. I think readers of romance who like a fantasy setting may enjoy this one – warning: it does become a little ‘steamy’ as the storyline progresses.
Conclusion : Cut
***
Book of Secrets (Merged Series #1) by Claudia Blood
Joshua Lighthouse never wanted to save the world, but now he has no choice.
Three hundred years ago, the human world and the world of Myth underwent a cataclysmic Merge. Those who survived – both human and Others – formed factions. Joshua led one faction, the Human Protection Agency, which is charged with maintaining the safety of the humans in his city. He secretly protects an artifact more powerful than even he knows…
My review is here.
In a nutshell, urban fantasy that manages to deliver a unique idea in terms of the Merge. It felt a little rushed in parts that made it difficult to connect to the central characters but for UF lovers this could be the start of an interesting series.
Conclusion : Cut
***
Dragonbirth byRaina Nightingale
In a world where dragons are considered demons and Dragonriders are hunted and killed as witches…
A devout village-girl, Silmavalien, meets a dragon hatchling and discovers a love she could never have dreamed. At the same time, her world is ripped apart as she discovers the gods she has worshipped and everything she has ever been taught or believed is a monstrous lie. Not knowing what to believe – or even if she can trust her engaged, Noren, with her new secret – she must find a way to care for herself and her dragon, Minth, in a wild and hostile world, a world which only grows stranger as the days pass.
My review is here.
In a nutshell this reads like a coming of age story about a young girl who bonds with a baby dragon and must then leave behind everything and everyone she knows in order to keep them both alive. The writing didn’t quite work for me with this one and the repetition prevented me from connecting to the characters as much as I would have liked. There are plenty of dragons though and maybe this is aimed more at a MG audience.
Conclusion : cut
My thanks again to the authors.
I will be posting my third batch of books very soon.
#SPFBO Review : Dragonbirth by Raina Nightingale
31 July 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Dragonbirth, Raina Nightingale, Review, SPFBO
Dragonbirth by Raina Nightingale is the fourth and final book from my Second Batch of books that I’m aiming to read and review this month which will be followed by my update post on Monday. I have seven books remaining and will post my third batch of books during the forthcoming week. My reviews so far are linked below and you can find feedback from my first batch of books here and further information on SPFBO here.
As the title suggests, this is a book of dragons. A young village girl, Silmavalien, finds what she thinks is an unusual stone that eventually hatches into a dragon that bonds with her. In a world where dragons are thought of as demons the birth of this dragon must be kept secret and the obvious and only course for Silmavalien seems to be to leave her village and family behind and go into hiding with her new companion.
Essentially this book is about Silmavlien’s journey with her dragon and her struggles to keep them both alive along the way.
This one reads almost like a journal with a lot of focus on the everyday essentials of survival whilst keeping a young dragon with a large appetite alive. To be honest, in some respects there is such a lot of attention paid to these everyday tasks that it makes it difficult to form any real attachments to either the dragon or the young girl and in fact the plot feels a little thin with a lot of repetition.
To be fair to the author she mentions in her foreword that she wrote this story when she was in her early teens and in that respect this is an achievement but, for me, it feels unpolished in its current form and not a book that I would really recommend.
I do love dragons and so I really wanted to love this one but it didn’t quite work out for me.
My thanks to the author for providing a copy. The above is my own opinion.
Books already reviewed for SPFBO :
- Deathborn by CE Page
- Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned by Ashley Capes
- Stranded by Rosalind Tate
- One of Us by ML Roberts
- Berserker by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris
- Stone Magus by Stephanie C Marks
- Book of Secrets by Claudia Blood
#SPFBO Review : Book of Secrets (Merged Series #1) by Claudia Blood
29 July 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book of Secrets, Claudia Blood, Merged Series #1, SPFBO
Book of Secrets by Claudia Blood is the third book from my Second Batch of books that I’m aiming to read and review this month (my fourth and final book from this batch will be posted on Saturday followed by an update post on the following Monday. I have read the fourth book now so I have eight books tucked under my belt and 7 more remaining. You can find feedback from my first batch of books here and further information on SPFBO here. (Links to all reviews so far are posted below).
Joshua Lighthouse is the main character of Book of Secrets and also the reluctant hero. Almost 300 years ago the world as we know it experienced an event that has become known as the Merge. During a meteor shower the earth and the world of myth collided. Since that time humans and those known as Others (a term that covers many species of fictional supernatural characters) have existed on the same plane – although not amicably so.
As a result of tension the Human Protection Agency was established, as the name suggests, to protect humans. Over the course of the years Joshua worked his way to the top of the Agency, always closely guarding a secret that could change his fortune – at the same time becoming (ironically) responsible for a powerful book known as the Book of Secrets. With the 300th anniversary of the Merge fast approaching it seems that this knew world is under threat from those who want to see their fortunes reversed. Joshua finds himself discredited and the Book of Secrets stolen out from under him. He’s in a race against time before the world he now knows is unmerged and his unlikely ally is a Pack member called Serene – herself one of the ‘most wanted’ from the Human Protection Agency.
I would describe Book of Secrets as urban fantasy. I quite liked the idea of the merge although I did find the execution a little clunky as the book began and also maybe a little rushed as we immediately jump forward almost 300 years to reconnect with Joshua – who has matured and is now an adult, but clearly an adult with an unusually long lifespan – this is accounted for but I won’t share the explanation here.
We largely follow Joshua as he is dragged unknowingly into a string of events that will bring everything he knows crashing down – at the same time he meets Serena who has experienced the loss of her pack and is determined to find out who is responsible and why. This element of the story develops into a romance although this doesn’t take over the main story.
Book of Secrets is, I felt, quite plot focused. The pacing is fast, you’re thrown into Joshua’s new world and expected to hit the ground running. Having read a good deal of UF in the past I didn’t particularly find this a problem, I didn’t mind the fast pace and thought the author came up with some original ideas which is quite an achievement given that this is a popular genre of fantasy.
However, I did have a few issues. I felt like the characters were a little flat and this made it difficult for me to connect with them or really invest in any potential threats and I struggled in some ways to visualise the world – in my head I was picturing this as a modern world but then in others I was wondering how the Others fit in – what did their part of the world look like, and what developments had occurred in the time that had expired (300 years is a long time after all). I guess in some respects it felt as though plot dominated the other elements but at the same time I recognise that this is a first in series and I always feel with UF that the first book is usually trying to hook readers and more substance and backstories will follow in later editions.
Book of Secrets didn’t completely win me over in the way I’d hoped, mainly due to the intense pace of the story which prevented other areas from being fully explored or attachments to form but, I think, if you like urban fantasy with a hint of romance and a story that bursts out of the starting blocks then maybe this could be the one for you.
My thanks to the author for providing a copy. The above is my own opinion.
Books already reviewed for SPFBO :
- Deathborn by CE Page
- Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned by Ashley Capes
- Stranded by Rosalind Tate
- One of Us by ML Roberts
- Berserker by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris
- Stone Magus by Stephanie C Marks
#SPFBO Review : Berserker (Apocosmos #1) by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris
20 July 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Apocosmos #1, Berserker, Dimitrios Gkirgkiris, SPFBO
Berserker by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris is the first book from my Second Batch of books that I’m aiming to read and review this month. You can find feedback from my first batch of books here and further information on SPFBO here.
Without further ado let’s get to the review (plus check out this fantastic cover):
Berserker is the first book in the Apocosmos series that features a rather angry young man called Alex and his young dog, a Corgi known as Louie. The book is an example of LitRPG (a genre that combines computer role playing games with science fiction and fantasy.
The story gets off to a rather dramatic start as we meet a bunch of characters who seem to be enslaved and forced to fight in violent (gladiatorial style) games. This is where we are introduced to Alex as he starts to relate his tale to the other fighters. I confess that I’m rather fond of this style of story telling where we have a character casting back to relate his experiences so for me this got off to an interesting start.
From here we discover Alex works for a gaming company in New York. His best (well, only) friend is called Leo and his closest companion is Louie, his dog. Alex seems to have suffered a loss that he makes reference to on a number of occasions but this hasn’t been explored in detail other than it has left him feeling incredibly sad. Anyhow, following a day in the office Alex and Louie leave to get takeaway and head home. Unfortunately, they get caught up with a group of unsavoury characters that leads to something of an altercation and without warning Alex’s world is turned upside down when he’s pulled into a multiverse of possibilities known as the Apocosmos where our tiny corner of the universe is barely the tip of the iceberg.
The Apocosmos runs parallel to our world (the Cosmos) – fortunately most of us mundane muggles are happily unaware of the existence of this second world that seems to have actually been the inspiration for many stories, myths and legends that we believe to be fictional. It appears that natives from the Apocosmos are living amongst us, disguised or hidden in plain sight and occasionally they pull an unsuspecting human into their world for one reason or another.
This is how Alex finds himself, unwittingly, begrudgingly even, a part of a much bigger universe. Fortunately, it appears that Leo is also a part of this universe and so Alex isn’t left completely floundering around, although his natural inclinations to be anti-social don’t exactly help him as he never wants to leave his own domain. In fact Alex has no desire to become further embroiled in this strange new world and has every intention of avoiding it until he realises that he might be able to make some money by crafting items and selling them on a platform not unsimilar to Amazon but much, much bigger in scale and possibility. What could possibly go wrong with a ‘lets get rich quick’ idea?
I won’t elaborate further on the plot, suffice to say that this is only the first slice of Alex’s story so the ending doesn’t complete his tale.
What I liked about this. I think it’s an interesting idea with a lot of potential storylines given the size of the Apocosmos. The author has already come up with a number of cool notions such as gargoyles acting as postmen not to mention the idea of allowing Louie to communicate as a result of a successfully completed quest. I confess that I’m not a gamer but to be honest I really don’t think this was a deterrent. The story feels like urban fantasy with a contemporary world with supernatural elements and the inclusion of the gaming aspects.
The characters. I have to say that Louie was my favourite – I can’t really resist the inclusion of a cute Corgi that can communicate – particularly about his desire to eat bacon. Also the partner that Alex takes on board – a dwarf called Rory – I did like this character especially as he started to open up. Alex and Leo – well, Alex I find a little over aggressive. Which I guess definitely feeds into his fighting character becoming something of a ‘berserker’ and for that reason I could relate a little more to what the author was doing. However, I found him a bit judgemental of others, he makes quite a lot of remarks about other people that seem unnecessary and he jumps with almost indecent haste from regular, ‘nothing to see here, just walking my dog’ calm to ‘I want to knock everyone’s block off, mad as a box of snakes’ insanity. Like I said though – Berserker – the clue is in the title I guess. Leo, well his inclusion feels a little contrived. He’s a good friend (although not going to lie – I’m not always sure why), he’s indescribably rich, connected and knowledgeable about the Apocosmos – what were the odds? Maybe there’s a further storyline about this in the pipeline though in fact it will be interesting to see how his inclusion develops.
In terms of criticisms. I understand the need to include gaming stats in litrpg but, there is a lot of it here and to be honest I think it pulled me out of the story quite frequently. Like I said, I do understand the need for this but I think maybe some of the lesser characters could be referred to without as much detail or maybe some of the terms could be elaborated upon in a glossary. Anyway, it did distract from the story a little for me personally. Also, there’s a heck of a lot of Alex ruminating about his business idea – again, maybe a bit too much information which felt a little dry and again was a bit distracting.
Overall, I enjoyed Berserker, probably more than I expected given that in terms of the RPG elements I’m not really the intended audience. I think it had a few blips but it was a quick read and I find myself curious about just exactly how Alex comes to find himself in the slave barracks where we first make his acquaintance. Plus, I’m worried about Louie – if anything happens to that dog – well, we’ll have another berserker on our hands.
My thanks to the author for providing a copy. The above is my own opinion.
Books already reviewed for SPFBO :
- Deathborn by CE Page
- Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned by Ashley Capes
- Stranded by Rosalind Tate
- One of Us by ML Roberts
#SPFBO : My First Batch of Books – Update
30 June 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Ashley Capes, CE Page, Deathborn, Graves Robbed, ML Roberts, My first batch of books - update, One of Us, Rosalind Tate, SPFBO, Stranded
Today I’m posting an update for my first batch of SPFBO books (which can be found here). This year I’m teaming up with the lovely ladies from the Critiquing Chemist and we split the batch of books equally – which gives me a little more time this year.
This month I read and reviewed my first four books and today I’m providing my feedback on which books will be cut or rolled forward. At this point I’m not making any decisions on semi-finalists as the semi finalists will be decided by both blogs before agreement on a finalist is reached. We will each put forward hopefuls and then take it from there.
I would mention that this is ultimately the most difficult part of the competition for judges and authors. I don’t find making cuts easy to be honest however it’s the nature of the competition. There can be only one. I would also like to thank the authors of the books that are highlighted today for taking the decision to throw their hat into the ring. It can’t be easy and I definitely applaud you for taking this step.
This month certainly got off to a great start. I completely read all four books and I don’t think I could have asked for four more different reads. A historical, alternate reality, portal book, UF with a unique concept, epic/high fantasy with intriguing magic and a YA high school adventure with witches and fae. This is why I love fantasy.
All that being said I won’t keep you waiting longer, below are my first four books.
Stranded (The Shorten Chronicles #1) by Rosalind Tate
Sophie Arundel is stranded in history, stuck in a grand house in 1925 England. Thankfully, she has her faithful dog Charlotte with her. Oh, and fellow student Hugo, annoying and charming in equal measure.
Baffled by upper-class rules, courted by boring suitors, Sophie is desperate to get back to the twenty-first century, but the only way home is through a hidden portal — and she must work with Hugo to unlock its secrets.
As one clue leads to another, Sophie and Hugo discover that history is unfolding differently. Mobs rule the streets. And when chaos turns into a deadly revolution, anyone in a grand house is fair game.
Sophie and Hugo are running out of time…
My review is here.
In a nutshell, Stranded is a very easy to read, cosy mystery. There is a slow romance building and the attention to detail in terms of the period is very well done and interesting. Clearly the author enjoyed writing this and it shone through. I did have a couple of criticisms but nothing that left me wanting to put the book down. It is a little light in terms of the fantasy elements however.
Conclusion: Cut
***
Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned (Reed Lavender #1) by Ashley Capes
At least when you’re Death’s nephew the bad guys literally have nowhere to hide, right?
Meet Reed Lavender, a mostly-human detective with the uncanny ability to hear the final words of the dead. But on this case he’ll need more than his usual tricks to solve the murder of a teen runaway – he’ll need something that just might be more trouble than it’s worth – the help of his ragtag Reaper-cousins.
But the deeper Reed digs the more he realises there’s something far bigger and darker beneath his city, something vast, something that is ripening to rot…
In a nutshell this is urban fantasy. I loved the concept of this one and also the writing. The pacing is very fast, probably, for me, a little too fast as I found myself wanting to slow down a little and let things develop, take a breather maybe. I have to say though that this was entertaining to read and I would definitely pick up more books in the series to see what the author comes up with next. I think my real issue is I would have liked this to maybe take a little more time with the set up as I felt like I wanted more somehow.
Conclusion : Cut
***
Deathborn (Sovereigns of Bright and Shadow #1) by CE Page
Corruption is a disease with no cure that ends with a rapid descent into madness and violence. And until now it only targeted mages.
When an infected warden shows up challenging everything Margot thought she knew she is thrown into the chase to find the impossible cure. But to understand this new revelation she needs someone who knows possession … She needs Nea and lucky for Margot, her warden friend Garret has been tasked with tracking the rogue necromancer down.
Garret is used to dealing with dangerous mages so this should be like any other job: find the mage and deliver her to the king. But from the moment he finds Nea he is dragged into a deadly game of dark secrets and brutal machinations. Now he must make a choice: deliver Nea as promised and place a weapon in the hands of a madman or deny his king and change the lives of wardens and mages forever.
My review is here.
Conclusion : Roll Forward (I won’t elaborate further at this point, my review is linked above)
***
One of Us: the City of Secrets by ML Roberts
The witch wants her dead, the fae want her alive, the police want to bring her in for questioning. High school should not be this way.
Olivia knows the rules: study hard, never lie, do unto others, but when a witch makes the rules and the others are fae, telling the truth will get her locked up.
Last month she saw the impossible, now she sees it again. She tells herself it’s all in her head. How else explain a shining man who fell out of nowhere or a student who died but still lives?
She carries on with her usual activities: volleyball, pop quizzes, a favor for Mom, but denial won’t make it go away. When she thinks it can’t get any worse, it does.
Friends, enemies, the police, someone is lying. If not one of them, one of us.
My review is here.
In a nutshell this is YA high school fantasy. I think it got off to a slightly shaky start, maybe a little bit of clunky dialogue here and there and perhaps a little overly drawn out in terms of really getting started. But, once the action began I confess to being very entertained. For me, it felt like the author gained in confidence as the story progressed and there was a chaotic, crazy popcorn munching vibe going on. Yes, I enjoyed this,,the story hooked me as things progressed and I wanted to know what was going on. There, however, is the rub. I did finish the story on a slight note of confusion, I know that there are more books (or is it book?) planned but I didn’t come away from this with a real understanding of motivations in terms of the central ‘baddies’. I admit that I’m not really the target audience for this one, but I think with a little more polish it would definitely be a series I could see myself continuing to read.
Conclusion : cut
My thanks again to the authors.
I will be posting my second batch of books very soon.
Books and travelling with Lynn 